If you looked on the various news headlines emerging from the Middle East, you will notice a substantial shift taking place in the manner they have been reporting about this region as a whole. From various military coups to the stories of political vendetta; from gun totting hostage takers to the unnerving interpretation of Islam; and from the so-called lack of democratization to the non existent human rights, the Middle East has always had to bear the brunt of hostile news reporting. But, the emerging trade and commerce and tourism activities in Dubai are fundamentally changing this long held stereotyped interpretation of the Muslim world now.

Don’t be surprised therefore, if the British footballer David Beckham and the Spice Girl Victoria are seen walking out of one of its famous five star hotels, or if the reigning formula one champion Michael Schumacher is spotted unwinding somewhere on its breathtaking shorelines. You will also come to notice some very famous names from the corporate world making regular rounds of this famous city. From top cine stars to sports celebrities and from the multi-billion empire holders to the average holiday making freaks, all are increasingly being seen on Dubai’s soil these days. This in itself, speaks a lot of how dramatically the world’s vision of the Middle East has transformed.

The next round of Dubai Tennis Championships to be held in February and March 2007 will be another treat for the tennis lovers and the media managers both. Names like the William sisters – Serena and Venus and Andre Agassi have played on this venue and enthralled the audiences in the recent past. Equally reported have had been the events like a friendly match organized between Andre Agassi and Roger Federer on the helipad of Burj Al Arab hotel. Tennis balls kept falling down inside the Arabian sea as the two players proceeded with some of their favourite strokes. Not too behind was Tiger Woods who made use of the same helipad for his golf practice. Woods was in Dubai to take part in the Dubai Desert Classic and couldn’t resist the temptation of practicing on such a breathtaking height.

If the celebrity spotting has become one of the new trends in Dubai’s social life, then so is the emerging competition among the hotel owners for making the best out of this pulsating market. They are making all efforts, like building of more niche hotels, to cap this upscale clientele. This means exclusively targeting the business travellers and the multimillionaires from across the globe. Apart from Dubai, Lebanon and Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt have also been trying to raise their stakes. However, the former is well ahead in the race involving these three.

Dubai’s desire of opening its borers to the outside world has been well received and reciprocated by the latter. As a result we are witnessing the very fundamental image of the Middle East taking a new turn in the global environment. By allowing so many expatriates on its soil, Dubai has made its friendly intentions clear. Expatriates will continue on playing a crucial role in the local economy, hence making the exchange of the Arabian peninsula with the outside world stronger. It speaks of a pleasing scenario, which will continue to get on more shades with each passing day.

Dubai, the most populated city of the United Arab Emirates has awed the world with marvelous constructions, an exploding economy, Guinness records, and its ever growing desire of magnificence. But what now? With so many projects already in process, what else can Dubai offer to people seeking to reside within its breathtaking environment? The answer is simple, Dubai plans on developing its infrastructure more, plans on enhancing the experience of those residing within and those who might be visiting its territory. Besides, it looks forward to settling itself further as one of the focal points for the worlds economy.

Whether you were looking forward to private accommodation, or you just had a desire of visiting and staying in one of those many world class hotels of Dubai; this was the right time to start working out with your plans. The ongoing economic boom has resulted in sharp spurt of real estate prices, and thus given a foothold to many construction giants from all over the world. This has ensured Dubai did have world class hotels, apartments and other infrastructure of advanced nature. There is no other region in the entire Gulf or anywhere around that might be witnessing the kind of construction boom Dubai has been able to see during these last several years.

Some of the key infrastructural developments taking place within Dubai are Palm Islands, The World, Dubai Marina, Dubai Waterfront, Dubai Land and The Burj Dubai Complex. These have been devised not only to take care of the accommodation demands, residential and commercial both, but are also aimed at growing as a very advanced infrastructure. With the construction firms of the stature of WS Atkins, taking part in many of these multi-billion pound activities, the immediate future of Dubai’s urban growth looks to be quite pleasant right now. There are enough signs from within the government on its part, that the growth will continue to have the kind of support they have been providing with through all these years.

Some key urban plans aimed at projecting Dubai as a world class destination include The Dubai Metro, The Dubai Mall and Business Bay. We are going to take a quick look and try to know what each of these means for Dubai’s future growth:

(1) The Dubai Metro, a 3.9 billion mega project will be one of its own kind on this planet when fully functional by the year 2012. It has been planned not only to ease out the daily traffic congestion, but also aimed at raising the city’s tourism prospects. All major sections of Dubai will come within its periphery, once the metro begins functioning in the next few years.

(2) The Dubai Mall, already scheduled to be completed before the end of 2006, will be the worlds largest shopping mall yet. The Dubai Mall will cover more than 12 million square feet and has already acquired 5 construction awards: Best Use of Lightning, Best Retail Development Scheme, Best Brochure, Best Art and Graphic Design and the Judges Special Recognition award.

(3) Business Bay, the main business area currently under construction for the city, will be the home of several skyscrapers, commercial spots, and intense economic activities. Besides, some Dubai hotels will also be given a foothold within these property blocks.

While undertaking such major developments, the city of Dubai will have to overcome many challenges lying ahead on the path of modernization. One of the major concerns is the quality of accommodation available for some of the lowly paid workers from South East Asian countries. The planners of Dubai will have to make sure they are not overlooked while the rest of Dubai enjoys unbound luxury. But, that is what all major cities of the world have had to go through until gaining invisibility. Dubai has already advanced well into that territory. There is no moving back now as we see some exciting developments of the future unfolding with each passing day.

Dubai, a relatively new tourist destination, is basically a desert city with excellent infrastructure and superb tourist amenities. Its liberal policies as well as its convenient location just three hours away from most Asian countries and five hours away from Europe, make Dubai very popular as a short-break destination for tourists from both countries that are looking for exciting shopping, fine dining, great partying and a host of unique sporting events.

Though Dubai can get extremely humid and hot in the summer months, with temperatures touching 50 degrees Celsius from May to September, it is a great place to visit during the more pleasant months of September to April.

As a prerequisite to obtaining a tourist visa to Dubai, your passport should be valid for a minimum of six months before your arrival. Individuals who intend to spend less than thirty days in the United Arab Emirates may apply for a tourist visa, whereas visit visas are issued to those who intend spending more than 30 days in the country.

Dubai, a city of superlatives, is home to the tallest, highest, largest and fastest. It is home to Burj Dubai, which upon completion in 2008 will be the tallest building in the world, surpassing the Taipei 101 in Taiwan.

Dubai offers visitors a host of unique experiences including the exciting Dune Bashing, thrilling hot air balloon rides, golfing or for something entirely different- sand golfing. Visitors to Dubai can experience the extreme as they go skiing and snowboarding in the large, specially built snow skiing center or go sand-skiing and sand boarding in the hot desert sands. Wild Wadi, a water amusement park, in the heart of the city is a great place for kids and adults alike. The Overnight Desert safari is as different but just as exciting as the Morning Desert safari. The Dubai Dhow Cruise takes you sailing down the Dubai Creek while aboard a wooden dhow that is traditionally decorated. Marvel at the major landmarks that are beautifully lit up at night as you take a midnight cruise for a completely different experience.

With so much to see and do in Dubai, maybe youd need much more than just a short break after all.

What Rates And Facilities You Should Expect From Dubai Hotels

Traveling to Dubai from across the Arabian sea can be a rewarding experience. Many people have discovered this fascinating aspect in the last several decades and many more will continue doing the same in the years to follow. With so much of tourism headed towards Dubai, it was but logical for so many of the 5 star hotels to have got a foothold here. However, before planning out your next vacation to this part of the world, you should know what options you could choose from various hotel offers. Luxurious stay could be one of the options, only if your budget allows you to meet with the challenges lying ahead. There are so many low-end hotels on the other hand, that not only offer world class accommodation but also do so at a fairly reduced price.

Let us get some basic ideas of the rates and facilities normally these hotels would offer to any of their clients. We start by getting an overview of one of the most famous names in expensive staying, “Jumeirah Beach Hotel”. This wonderfully constructed seashore landmark of Dubai is one of the best of its kind and highly expensive in the entire world. Its fascinating architecture matches well with the level of Arabian warmth they are known to offer their services with. With facilities such as a health spa, swimming pools, golf driving range, tennis courts, a private beach, and a featured unlimited access to Wild Wadi Park, the “Jumeriah Beach Hotel” facility is probably one of the best places to be visited on the planet by any traveller. However, at 811 per suite per night rate, it is also one of the most expensive ones and unsuitable for the normal kind of holidaying.

There are more affordable options on the other hand, that most of the usual visitors would like to have a look on. One among many such names is the 4 star facility named “One&Only Royal Mirage”. This hotel offers a highly world class care and accommodation at a fairly reduced price of 280 per night’s stay. The facility “One&Only Royal Mirage” is located in Jumeira Beach, just twenty minutes away from the airport. This place is the perfect example for describing how non-expensive hotels in Dubai were not necessarily ordinary. Every single room in this hotel provides a wonderful ocean view. An exclusive beach, themed bar, croquet lawn, tennis courts, and other services are what characterize this place as one meant for people who demand the highest standards, at affordable rates.

Following down the line are cheap Dubai hotels that many of the visitors would be looking forward to having some information about. “Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach & Resort Marina”, is one such 3 star hotel, that carries highly concessional rates, but offers rooms and services worthy of being called that of Dubai’s status. The most noticeable feature of cheap Dubai hotels is their outstanding locations. One such example lies within the Meridien Mina Seyahi, which is just a few minutes away from the Mall of the Emirates and Ibn Battuta. It offers services such as: a health club, gym, steam room, kids club, sauna, aerobics etc. And all this fabulous booty starting at an amazingly low rate of 43 per night’s stay.

These three examples are just the tip of an iceberg, Dubai’s cheap and 5 star hotels could be described as. There is a vast range of information available these days online that you could easily have an access to and make use of to get your online bookings carried out. Just keep in mind while planning out your next visit to “The Jewel of the Sea”, the 5 star hotels of Dubai are one in many but not the only one option. You could try out different places for your staying demands, and go back home with marvelous traveling tales.

Offshore banking in Dubai, is allowed as long as you hold a residence visa. Once you have opened a bank account in Dubai, you can import and export funds. You will not need to declare currency when entering the territories, so you will be able to move funds in any form you choose.

International bank transfers are an area where these banks are expert. Outflow of money has been very lucrative in Dubai for quite some time. There have been quite a few clients who move into the region and export most of their earnings to their home country. Many people have opened bank accounts to get out of paying taxes in their own country.

As well as offshore banks, there are many exchange companies in Dubai. These companies are owned by major trading families who have a great deal of experience in the business and have better rates than the offshore banks. Several transfer systems are available, including, telex, postal, bank to bank, telegraphic, and SWIFT. Exchange houses and banks are very competitive, accurate, speedy and reliable. The result of the transaction depends a great deal on the institution on the receiving end. The fastest method of transfer is normally electronic transfer. Delays can occur if you are sending a different currency than the recipient bank deals with as there is normally a reduction or addition to the amount. It is more efficient to send funds between branches of the same bank .

If you plan on visiting Dubai, you probably should have a bit of local currency to cover your room and other smaller expenses. Currency exchanges are available at major airports, many are open 24 hours. You should not exchange money at your hotel, as the rates will be unfavorable.

There are no restrictions on sending or depositing of currency in and out of Dubai. You will be able to transfer money anywhere and in any currency. Many find it easy to use their own bank to transfer money to offshore banks, but there are plenty of institutions that will offer this service. Your best bet is to do a little homework and get the best deal. The main thing to look for is the best exchange rate and how much the commission charges will be. They may quote you a good rate but you will need to look at all of the charges put together and decide from there. You need to remember your bank will charge you a fee to transfer your money.

Offshore banking in Dubai offers Tax Haven Services, such as:

- Private Bank Accounts
- Asset Protection
- Portfolio Managers
- Wealth Management
- Asset Management
- Tax Consultation
- Personal Financial Strategies
- Account Managers
- Inheritance Planning
- Company Formation

These are some of the services offered by offshore banks in Dubai. You will need to check out the different offshore banks and exchange houses to see which of them will give you the best bank account package to fit your needs. You should always shop around so you are able to make an informed decision when it comes to your banking needs.

Dubai’s traffic congestion continues to remain one of the most prime concerns for its planners and administrators. A very significant number of freak collisions taking place, daily occurrences of traffic jams and an ill-educated mass of drivers making one’s life difficult on Dubai’s roads, is how you could describe Dubai’s traffic in few words. The administration on its own part has done all it could to check this existing malice out by building flyovers and underpasses, however the ever-growing population forces the problem to continue on. Several measures are being introduced now to get the things on roads sorted out, among these being the proposed introduction of additional water buses in the Dubai Creek area from July later this year (2007).

The Creek is an inlet of the Arabian Gulf that runs across the center where Dubai has been populated upon. People would benefit from any water bus service across this watery passage, since the usual road journeys demand extra time and efforts both. The road traffic will also have a sigh of relief, since part of the daily commuting, however small in entity it may be, will get dispensed elsewhere. However, there are two significant aspects to be taken care of by the authorities and people both. One among these being the kind of boats that will get introduced, as the hot and humid weather of Gulf area can be truly scorching in summers. Secondly, the objective of maintaining Dubai’s cultural heritage has also to be kept in mind while introducing any new kind of boats.

Boats previously running across Dubai Creek lacked in terms of advancement, but they did have an ethnic Arabian outlook to be proud of. The latest announcement raises some concerns therefore, as the fresh boats to be inducted are going to have an advanced capacity, and therefore some compromises will have to be made out in its existing design. The traditional form of boat design, called Abra, has been followed in this region for years now. The new boat designs to be introduced will draw their outlook both from Abra and modern techniques in equal terms. This deviation from Dubai’s heritage will have to be made acceptable to the all concerned, so as to see the planned bus service smoothly running.

Currently, there are several bridges and a solitary tunnel apart from Abra boats, which could be used to cross Dubai Creek on any usual occasion. However, boats provide a very conducive atmosphere for making out the journeys as compared to the other methods. Structurally, Abras are open-air wooden ferries that could carry up to 20 passengers sitting across the length of boats on back-to-back benches. This leads to discomfort in the summers however, as temperatures can reach up to 50C and humidity in the range of 90-percent. The improvised fleet of water buses will now have a sitting capacity of 35 passengers, and they will be made fully air-conditioned.

The latest boats will be pressed into a loop water-bus service in the very first phase, with two stops on either side of the Creek receiving and sending buses on every 10 minutes from 6am in the morning to 12 at night. Gradually, these buses will be extended up to New Dubai along the coastline, which includes Palm Islands and The World. This new introduction of water-bus service is part of the extended public transport system for Dubai’s commuters, which aims at reducing the city’s road congestion. The planned Metro Railways will also be playing a crucial role in achieving these objectives apart from the existing Abras and the just mentioned water-bus service.

Exploding with the beauty of natural wonder and intrigue, you will find the city of Dubai situated within the United Arab Emirates. It is here that the land stretches to reveal endless deserts, beaches, and other grand explorations in art, culture, and history. With regal hotels and delicious cuisine, the city swells with a wide range of attractions and activities that keep the locals and tourists alike busy and quite pleased with their surroundings. Dubai is home to a variety of interesting neighborhoods, satisfying commercial finds, and exciting districts to explore, including Old Dubai, Bur Dubai, and the old Bastakiya district

Major Attractions

Whether you are a shopper at heart or enjoy the sights and sounds of the great outdoors, a wealth of major sights throughout the city are offered. While Lancy Plaza and Mercate Mall are decent locations to run up the credit card bill, the third largest mall in the world (Mall of Emirates) can be found in Dubai. This delightful locations busts at the seams with theaters, arcades, an impressive food court, and the largest indoor ski slope across the globe. Additional attractions bringing in the tourists include the indoor and outdoor exhibits at the Dubai Zoo; and the relaxing atmosphere of Jumeirah Beach.

Nightlife

To experience some of the best nightlife in Dubai, many consider the larger hotels in the city as the “place to be.” Some of the best bars are situated within these town gems, where the entire city opens to a variety of entertaining, exciting, as well as less expensive hot spots. In Dubai, the concept of “Happy Hours” is a popular approach towards enjoying the nightlife, as is “Ladies Night,” which seems to dominate Tuesday and Sunday nights. Usually, the busiest nights to party are experienced on Thursdays and Saturdays in Dubai.

Weather

As you begin to plan a trip to Dubai, you may want to check the Weather Channel to better prepare for the overall climate and upcoming temperatures. In Dubai, the average highs and lows are quite pleasant for the area. Summers bring hot and humid weather, while cooler days prevail from September to May. As for the rain, it tends to shuffle in during the months of January and February.

Dubai is such an exciting and diverse travel destination that it attracts millions of visitors annually particularly during the winter months when the weather is perfect for every single activity from sunbathing and scuba diving to camel racing and desert safaris.

If youre planning a trip to Dubai heres a guide to the types of attractions and activities you and your family can plan on enjoying.

First things first, as stated the winter months from November through to March are the most popular time of the year to visit the emirate. The weather is perfect with daily sunshine and high temperatures but the sun is not at its most intense which means that visitors can actually get out and about and not have to avoid the desert heat that radiates excessively in Dubai in the summer.

In January each year Dubai plays host to the now world famous Dubai Shopping Festival, a retail extravaganza that annually attracts in excess of 3.3 million visitors who come to enjoy the month long festival and associated celebrations.

The shopping festival is such a hit because the luxury bargains that tax free Dubai is world renowned for are available at sale prices for example, and every single day there are incredible prizes to be won from luxury cars to substantial cash lump sums! Add to this the fact that the Dubai Shopping Festival is a family experience and has daily events and activities for children and nightly firework displays for example and you can see why January is such a great time to be vacationing in Dubai.

Once youve shopped in the gold souk and the incredibly luxurious malls and marketplaces you might like to get away from the crowds and head out away from the emirate into the desert on a camel or jeep safari; alternatively you could try sand skiing, dune or wadi driving and then have a desert picnic feast.

Heading back into Dubai there are two great ways to get to know more about this historic and incredibly interesting city a visitor can either take to the air or the water ways and get a unique glimpse of the emirate. Taking an aerial tour of Dubai in a helicopter is a once in a lifetime experience; or for those who prefer something more sedate why not cruise Dubais waterways in a traditional wooden dhow.

For those whore after a more action packed experience from their vacation in Dubai why not try thunder bowl, horse riding in the desert, go karting, golf, ice skating or deep sea fishing? And for those with traveling to Dubai with children there are a whole host of exciting adventure parks to try from Dubai Wonderland to Wild Wadi, from Magic Planet to the soon to be completed Snow Dome.

Whatever type of event, activity or attraction youre after Dubai can satisfy your every whim. With daily cultural events, nightly entertainment activities and a whole world within one emirate waiting to be discovered what are you waiting for? Book your vacation today!

Any world class infrastructure will carry its own problems along with the high standards of living it might own. Dubai being one of the busiest cities in the world, does also have its own quota of overcrowding, planning woes, traffic congestion and cultural and sociological matters to take care of. Those traveling from the developed nations might specially find some of these issues very nagging.

Traffic congestion is one such aspect of Dubai’s life, that often gets mentioned in all Dubai related chatters. Cars on Dubai’s roads could often be found over speeding, evading red signals or skidding on in the wrong lane. Despite having tough regulations in place for dealing with the traffic violations, freak collisions keep on being reported from various parts of Dubai at an alarming rate.

The administration is busy on its own part chalking out plans for new flyovers and highway junctions to deal with the situation. Major revamps are being awaited in the traffic department as well. Five new divisions have been devised to regulate vehicular movement and thus improve upon the traveling scenario in general. This will also help in apprehending the traffic violators more easily.

Overcrowding on Dubai’s roads is found to be maximum at a time when schools have just started again after vacationing. One should start early from home during such times to be able to on time at workplace, and similarly be ready to be late after usual working hours. We are enlisting some easy tips for the commuters here for making out a safe and speedy journey across Dubai’s overcrowded roads.

1. Linking roads should be made one’s first priority, in case one was dreadful of encountering an overcrowded narrow street. The extra few hundred yards would mean almost zilch in terms of the gasoline costs but would help one save plenty of traveling minutes.

2. Do not move on from one to another lane, unless you were certain about acquiring greater speeds. People often end up stranded more in the lanes they to move on to compared to where they had earlier been in.

3. Keep alternative routs well planned before commuting across Dubai. Not all the routs are going to be of help everyday, but some will indeed prove out to be handy on different occasions.

4. Avoiding being trapped inside a lane that might disallow you lateral movement. Always make sure you had enough space around to move out of the lane you were about to enter in.

5. One should avoid making use of very usual routs on times. Make sure the flyover or underpass you were about to pass through did indeed have free flowing traffic. Better face out the red signals at normal junctions than being trapped inside an overtly flooded underpass.

6. Identifying slow or fast moving patches in lanes is very significant. All lanes normally do have sections that will either speed up or slow down with time. One may even find a pattern of various speeds on different routs one normally travels across Dubai. Once you have made an observation of the routs you generally move along, you might easily switch over from one to another lane at different locations.

7. Once gaining optimum speeds in the less crowded lanes, be careful of not being trapped inside the formations of moving vehicles. These formation can hinder your speeds considerably as you move on with them.

Getting used to the above traffic suggestions might take some time, but it will help you in saving a lot of time in the longer run.

Dubai is a city built for tourism all around the year with excellent hotels, resorts, shopping and places to visit. In this article you’ll read a little about the top three attractions that you can visit on your Dubai holiday.

Dubai Creek

At the Dubai Creek visitors can take a small water taxi, called abra, allowing them to see the old trading port and the dhows from the water. The Creek is a natural sea water inlet, and it cuts through the center of the city, this is a historical part of the city. By taking a cruise to Al-Maktoum you will pass many landmarks, both historic and modern. A leisure walk round the walk will impress with a pitoresque glimpse at Dubai’s trading history.

Bastakiya

Curious about the way people were keeping their houses cool in the days before electricity and air conditioning? Then Bastakiya is the place to visit, this district is a step back in time with it’s houses cooled by wind towers. Dubai was famous for these wind towers that were aligned on both sides of the creek. Even today, the narrow lanes are showing the distinctive Arabian architecture that is a popular tourist attraction marked for development.

Souks

These are the traditional markets of Dubai and they are very popular for bargain hunters but sightseers and photographers enjoy them too. The gold souk is the most famous of them, here the streets are full of shops were anything golden can be found at low prices even, rings, bars, and elaborate necklaces. The traditional spice souk has tiny lanes scented with sacks of cinnamon, incense, spices, and dried fruits. Also the modern fish souk bustles with activity but smells in this area are of a more unpleasant nature. On the other streets you can find everything from carpets to traditional pieces or loaves of bread.

These three are not the only attractive objectives in Dubai, many others are available like the Grand Mosque, the Wild Wadi and many others that can make you holiday in Dubai a very interesting one.